Deal jettisons driver caps for Seattle ride-service companies

Ride-service providers Lyft, Sidecar and uberX won’t be limited to 150 drivers on the street at a time under new regulations negotiated by the companies and Mayor Ed Murray’s office.

The deal also would give hailing rights to taxi companies such as Eastside for Hire, allowing them to better compete. The city also will issue 200 new taxi licenses over the next four years.

“We have deregulated a highly regulated monopoly,” Murray said in announcing the deal, which still must be approved by the City Council.

The City Council in March limited the number of drivers as a way to help the taxi industry, as it created regulations that also dealt with training and insurance. The companies — which dispatch drivers via mobile apps — argued that the caps would destroy their business model, and planned to take the issue to the voters, prompting the continued negotiations.

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The Today File is a general news blog featuring real-time coverage of Seattle and the Northwest. It is reported by the news staff of The Seattle Times and includes stories from The Associated Press and McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.